I served as a combat surgeon in DaNang, (U.S. Naval Support Hospital) from Dec. 10, 1967, through Dec. 11, 1968. While there, I evaluated and treated hundreds of severely wounded combatants. During my year in DaNang, a few combatants urged me to verify small abrasions as "wounds" so they could get a Purple Heart. Each freely admitted trying to acquire Purple Hearts as rapidly as possible to take advantage of the policy allowing those with three Purple Hearts to apply to leave Vietnam early. I refused them. But some went shopping for another opinion. Unfortunately, we had some antiwar physicians in Vietnam who were happy to become accomplices in these frauds. Most with valid Purple Hearts didn't need to apply to leave Vietnam: The seriousness of their wounds demanded it. Lt. John Kerry's collecting three Purple Hearts within 100 days  all for wounds too minor to require hospitalization  recalls the distasteful memories of having to deal with those few miscreants in DaNang.

'The Washington Times' deserves an award. . .a Freedom medal or somesuch; they deserve special recognition for their 'service rendered' to the public community; delivered as it is, with a committment to the truth.

"Mr. Kerry has made his Vietnam War record the centerpiece of his campaign. This demands a thorough objective evaluation of his medical records to determine if the three Purple Hearts that allowed him to leave Vietnam after only four months of duty were justified. This evaluation needs to be done before the election."

"Dr. Martin L. Fackler served as a combat surgeon in Vietman in 1968. A fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, he also is an author, expert witness and lecturer on wound ballistics and surgery, and former director of the Wound Ballistics Laboratory at Presidio."

Dr. Fackler needs to be placed on our major networks to be heard. His credentials look impeccable.

Here's where I think we need a new law. Anyone running for high office should publicly release all military records (if any) and all medical records. It should be out there for the people to peruse, if they are interested. If you want to occupy a high office, you should prepare to give up your privacy.

15
posted on 08/26/2004 5:45:33 AM PDT
by MizSterious
(First, the journalists, THEN the lawyers.)

"In Part B, Paragraph 2, of the Army Purple Heart Regulation (600-8-22 of 25 February 1995), we find "the wound for which the award is made must have required treatment by a medical officer."

Dr. Louis Letson was entirely correct in turning down Lt. Kerry's first Purple Heart  even if the wound had been the result of enemy action. Can there be any doubt that the tiny metal sliver could have been removed easily, and safely, by a Navy corpsman? It certainly did not "require" treatment by a medical officer (an MD)."

Dr. Martin L. Fackler served as a combat surgeon in Vietman in 1968. A fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, he also is an author, expert witness and lecturer on wound ballistics and surgery, and former director of the Wound Ballistics Laboratory at Presidio

...trying to acquire Purple Hearts as rapidly as possible to take advantage of the policy allowing those with three Purple Hearts to apply to leave Vietnam early....Unfortunately, we had some antiwar physicians in Vietnam who were happy to become accomplices in these frauds...

...The highly unlikely occurrence of being wounded three times within 100 days, in the very beginning of a tour of duty, and all three wounds being so minor that none required hospitalization, would seem sufficient cause for further investigation.

21
posted on 08/26/2004 6:13:34 AM PDT
by kinsman redeemer
(the real enemy seeks to devour what is good)

Man, many of our war heros are coming out of the woodwork to 'correct john kerry's narcissistic, exaggerated and often, apparently totally fraudulent, tour in Vietnam.

It is interesting that all of this is due to the extremely hurtful words spoken by kerry in testimony with the anti-war vets way back when.

Kerry trashed his fellow service men and attempted to break the resolve of the American people ( and actually succeeded here. )

Now HONOR IS BEING RESTORED to so many wonderful Vietnam Vets as many come forward to set the record straight.

The liberal anti-war, aging hippies who have never learned that freedom is NOT free, who have never been able to understand that freedom JUST DOES NOT FEEL TOO GOOD when others, our neighbors, suffer under vicious and grotesque dictatorships, that using our power to help free those oppressed is a way to ENSURE a STABLE PEACE in the future, especially as terrorism has reared its ugly head EVERYWHERE, are watching their historical lies and re-writes of history CRUSHING DOWN around their feet.

At the same time, our precious veterans, whom we all owe so much, are being elevated to the place where they belong in our nation. That place being a place of HONOR, RESPECT and DIGNITY.

NOTE TO KERRY:

Take your baby killers and go crawl back into your make believe world of America 'the bad'.

Seems to me, Senator Kerry, that your days of spreading your delusional and truly pathetic lies are coming to an end.

As far as I know, you are a war criminal. Did you really shoot penned animals and light up a deserted village? If you did, and justice reigns, you should be standing before a court of military law. Not running for President.

You helped destroy so many, and NOW, exposed, you are helping to HEAL this NATION regarding Vietnam.

This entire episode in our history is a miracle for many.

28
posted on 08/26/2004 7:51:32 AM PDT
by Republic
(As the election date approaches, I pray our Father opens our eyes and ears and hearts to the 'truth')

Doctors in Nam had to deal with all kinds of malingering. I have bad astigmatism, and it was changing every few months when I was young. I went for an eye exam while i was in Vietnam, and the examining doctor was simply incompetent. He couldn't deal with astigmatism. Because he couldn't determine my prescription he accused me of malingering.

I said I didn't need glasses to do my job, but it would be nice not to see double images. He gave me a lousy prescription.

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